K-File #2 The Truth about LEC's (Ceramic Metal Halides)

Posted on October 20 2016

Companies are always coming up with clever ways to reinvent how to sell the same product they have always been selling. The latest in the long line of products to do so is the latest craze in LEC's (Light Emitting Ceramics), more appropriately named Ceramic Metal Halides.

Companies are aptly not calling them this because everyone knows that Metal Halides are only good for vegging. They actually yield less than HPS AND run even hotter than LED's. They are only calling them LECs to compete with LEDs,

Growers worldwide are accepting thatLED lights are the future of indoor growing. With the steep, rising costs of energy and the grams per watt comparisons proven with Kind LED Grow Lights, it’s intriguing that there is even talk surrounding Light Emitting Ceramics (LECs). Here’s a break down the numbers between the two lighting systems.

LEC suppliers boast a 20,000 hour life bulb life. Sure, this is more life than a typical HPS bulb, but it still isn’t even close to the life that you will see from a Kind LED Grow Light. The diodes on Kind LED Grow Lights are rated for 50,000 hours. That’s nearly 11 1/2 years with the lights running 12/12! No need to change bulbs, be concerned with the lights degrading over time, or properly disposing of mercury filled glass.

LEC bulbs have a “high” lumen per watt discharge. Just like drive in theaters, stressing the importance lumen output with regards to plant growth is a thing of the past. What really matters over lumen output is the PAR value from the light source or the actual rate in which the plant is absorbing the light. Kind LED Grow Lights’ perfect 12 band spectrum gives the plants the exact spectrum they need to thrive.

Grams per watt…now that’s a number that means something to a grower.With the Kind LED XL1000, growers can expect 1.37 grams per watt using only 630 watts of power and zero ac.LECs run cooler than HPS lighting. While this may be slightly true, growers won’t find a cooler running light than that of an LED fixture. Kind LED Grow Lights have a thick, heavy duty 2 CM aluminum heat sinks that dissipate heat much more efficiently than other LED lights or grow light on the market, making Kind LED lights run more effectively and cooler leading to longer life spans and increased performance.

While LEC bulbs are popping up in the marketplace, it’s clear that Kind LED Grow Lights continue to have an edge above the indoor lighting competition with respect to quality and performance.